Conventionally, when a service provided by a server apparatus on a network is used, generally, the server apparatus creates, with respect to each user, an account for specifying the user, and determines, on the basis of the created account, whether or not a user attempting to use the service is an authorized user.
The mere creation of an account with respect to each user, however, cannot flexibly manage authority.
Thus, it is desired to achieve an authority management system, a server system, an authority management program, and an authority management method that are capable of flexibly managing authority.
The above object can be achieved by, for example, the following configurations.
A first exemplary configuration is an authority management system including a server system and a plurality of information processing apparatuses. Each of the information processing apparatuses includes: a user registration unit configured to register a plurality of users as users of the information processing apparatus; and a first communication unit configured to communicate with the server system. The server system includes a second communication unit, a user authority information storage unit, and an information processing unit. The second communication unit communicates with the information processing apparatus. The user authority information storage, with respect to each of the plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, stores user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user. The information processing unit, on the basis of the user authority information, performs information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information. The user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information. When the server system has received from any one of the information processing apparatuses through the second communication unit the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus, the information processing unit performs, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user.
When the server system has received the user identification information of the first user from the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit, the information processing unit, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, may perform information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the second user, on the assumption that the first user is given the same authority as authority of the second user.
The user authority information may include information indicating application software. The information processing unit may make a setting so as to give the first user the same authority as authority of the second user with respect to each of pieces of application software.
The user authority information may include information indicating application software that the user corresponding to the user authority information is permitted to execute in the information processing apparatus.
The server system may further include an apparatus authority information storage unit configured to, with respect to each of the information processing apparatuses, store apparatus authority information indicating authority given to the information processing apparatus, together with apparatus identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus.
The apparatus authority information may include information indicating application software pre-installed on the information processing apparatus corresponding to the apparatus authority information, and the user authority information may include information indicating application software purchased by the user corresponding to the user authority information.
The server system may further include a charging process unit and a user authority information update unit. The charging process unit, when the server system has received from the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit a request to purchase application software, performs a charging process for charging a user currently operating the information processing apparatus an amount of money based on the application software. The user authority information update unit, in accordance with the charging process performed by the charging process unit, updates the user authority information corresponding to the user so as to permit the user to execute the application software in the information processing apparatus.
The user authority information may be generated on the basis of a user input provided to the information processing apparatus, and the apparatus authority information may be automatically generated, not on the basis of a user input provided to the information processing apparatus.
The server system may further include a local user authority information transmission unit configured to, when the server system has communicated with the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit, transmit, with respect to each of pieces of the user authority information associated with the information processing apparatus, information indicating application software that the user corresponding to the piece of the user authority information is permitted to execute in the information processing apparatus, as local user authority information to the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus may further include: a local user authority information storage unit configured to store the local user authority information transmitted from the local user authority information transmission unit; and a determination unit configured to determine, on the basis of the local user authority information, whether or not the application software can be executed in the information processing apparatus.
When the server system has communicated with the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit, the local user authority information transmission unit, unconditionally or if a predetermined condition is satisfied, may transmit to the information processing apparatus the latest local user authority information based on the user authority information associated with the information processing apparatus and stored in the user authority information storage unit. The information processing apparatus may further include an update unit configured to, on the basis of the latest local user authority information transmitted from the local user authority information transmission unit, update the local user authority information stored in the local user authority information storage unit.
A second exemplary configuration is a server system including a communication unit, a user authority information storage unit, and an information processing unit. The communication unit communicates with an information processing apparatus. The user authority information storage unit, with respect to each of a plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, stores user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user. The information processing unit, on the basis of the user authority information, performs information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information. The user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information. When the server system has received from an information processing apparatus through the communication unit the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus, the information processing unit performs, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user.
A third exemplary configuration is an authority management program to be executed by a computer of a server system including a communication unit configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus. The authority management program causes the computer to execute: with respect to each of a plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, storing user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user; and on the basis of the user authority information, performing information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information. The user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information. When the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus has been received from an information processing apparatus through the communication unit, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user is performed.
The authority management program may be stored in any computer-readable storage medium such as a CD or a DVD.
A fourth exemplary configuration is an authority management method to be executed by a server system including a communication unit configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus. The authority management method includes: with respect to each of a plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, storing user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user; and on the basis of the user authority information, performing information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information. The user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information. When the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus has been received from an information processing apparatus through the communication unit, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user is performed.
Based on the exemplary embodiment, it is possible to, on the basis of a plurality of pieces of user authority information associated with the same information processing apparatus, perform information processing based on authority indicated by the pieces of user authority information. This makes it possible to flexibly manage authority.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiment will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.